Knee protector for trousers



Dec. 16, 1930. c. SHEFFOLD 1,785,395

KNEE PROTECTOR FOR TROUSERS Filed Sept. 19, 1929 INVENTOR. flew/e5 5eflald Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED; STATES PATENT. OFFICE i CHABLESSHEFFOIQD, or CLINTON, CONNECTICUT",

KNEE raornoron FOR, rnousnns Application filed September 19, 1929; sem No. 393,636..

r This invention relates to trousers and particularly to the provision of means for protecting the knees of trousers against the stresses and strains in the operation of bending the knee of the wearer so as to eliminate the possibilit yof bagging the knee portions of the trousers; andthe object'of the invention is to provide a protector of the classdescribed which is so constructed as to take up the stresses and strainsto which the knee portion of the trousers is 'subjectedthroughout being to providetrousers of the class speci fied involving a strap'which extends throughout the length of and is arranged within the front crease of the trousers and extends to the upper and lower ends of the trousers; and with these and other objects in'view, the invention consists in a protector of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, eificient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described .and-

claimed. The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are deslgnated by suitable reference characters in each 035 the views, and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of trousers showing one form of-my improved protector mounted in connection therewith, with part of the construction broken away. Fig. -2 is asection on the line 2'2 of Fig. 1. Fig- 3 is a plan view of, one part used in forming the protector. Fig. 4 is a plan view ofanother part; and, Fig. 5 is a perspective view showinga mod1 fie'd form'o'f construction.

In Fig. 1 ofthe drawing, I have indlcated at a pair of long trousers, the legportions of which are shown at 11, and within said leg portions are arranged my "improved knee protectors," only one ofwhich is shown arranged within one leg of the trousers, it being understood that the other leg also includes a protector. In' the construction shown the protector is made up of two parts 12 and 13 as shown in Figs; 3 and 4, the manner of constructing said parts being within the skill of a mechanic, but for example, the part 1.2 may be made from a single sheet cut onthe bias so as to form a series of integral straps 1415,'16'17, 18and 19, thestraps 14 and l5intersecting at 20, the straps 16 and 17-intersecting at 21, and he straps 18 and 19 intersecting at 22.

It-will also be apparent that the-upper end of the strap 14 joins the lower end of the strap 17 as at 23; the upper end. of thestrap joins-the lower end of thestrap 16 as at 24; and the upper ends oi the straps 16 and 17 join the lower ends ofthe'straps 19 and 18 respectively as at 25 and 26. The part 13 consists of an elongated strip 27 upon which is arranged at a point below the center thereof, a transverse strap 28 whichmay be integral with the strip 27 orattached thereto, the construction beingpreferably such as to form a comparatively large body 29 at the intersection of the parts27 and 28. In'practice, the part '13 is placed upon th part 12'insuch manner as to arrange the band 28 in alinement with theintersecting ends 23 and 24 and to dispose the body 29 centrally of and between the intersections 20 and 21. I The parts 12 and 13 maybe stitched or otherwise securedtogether along the intersections 20, 21 and 22 as indicated at 30, note Fig. 1, and theparts thus assembled are arranged in the tr ousersleg and attached thereto in the operation of forming the sideseams 31 and 82 of the trousers in joining the front portion 11a of the leg to the rear portion 11?) thereof, noteFig. 2. In this stitching operation, it will be understood. that the ends of the band 28 are stitched. to the trousers in the 'operationof attaching the ends of the several straps with the. part 12. In like 'manner, the upper and lower'edges of the strip-27 otthe part '13 isJa-ttachedto the upper and lower portions of'the trousers as indicated at 33 and 34 respectively.

securing;the protector in position, it

it being apparent that the lower ends of the straps 14 and 15 extend to a point well adjacent the lower end of thetrousers, whereas the intersections 25 and 26 of the straps 16, 17, 18 and 19 are arranged at a point adjacent the thigh portion of the trousers.

It will thus be'seen'that in theoperation of bending the knee in the use of the trousers, the stress or strain to which the band 28 is subjected will be taken upby the upwardly and downwardly directed straps 16, 17 and 14 and 15. This stress to which the straps 16 and 17 are subjected is further extended to the intersecting ends 22 of the straps 18 and.

19, and thus to the upper end portion of the trousers, it being apparent that the intersection 22 is arranged at a point onthe trousers above or. at the hips. With this construction, in addition to preventing the stress of the front part 11a of the trousers at the knee,

the tendency to crease the trousers from the knee upwardly at oppositesides of the front 11a. is also obviated to alarge degree.

It will also be understood that the vertical strip 27 is folded centrally and longitudinally thereofto lie within the crease of the front part 11a of the trouser leg and this crease also extends onto the part 12 at the several;

intersections 20, 21 and 22 thereof. It will also be understood that while I have referred to one specific manner of forming the parts 12 and 13, that my invention is not necessarily limited in this respect, it being desirable how-V ever to construct the protector of the strongest and yet thinnest and lightest possible material so as not to interfere in any way with the making or use of the trousers.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification which consists simply in forming the parts 12 and 13 which are designated in said figure as 12a and 13a, of two ply thickness instead of single ply as in the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and only the knee portion of the protector is shown, it being understood that the entire device is of similar construction, and the separate plies may be stitched or otherwise secured together as indicated at 35 in Fig. 5 of the drawing. a j i It will also be apparent that my invention is not necessarily limited to the extension of the protector tothe upper and lower ends of the trousers, the primary feature of the invention residing in the use of a transverse protector band at the knee portion of the trousers supported by diagonally. arranged strap members coupled with the endsof said transverse band. p

It will also be apparent that in the convstruction shown inF'ig. 5 of the drawing, the

separate strips or sheets of the protector may be composed of similar material or made of materials of different or contrasting texture, for example, one strip may be comparatively thin and the other comparatively heavy. WVhile I have shown certain details of construction for carrying my invention into effect, it will be understood that I am not necessarily limited to these details and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent, is: 1

1. Incombination with the leg portions of a pair of trousers including side seams, a protector for each leg portion comprising a transverse band adapted to be positioned at the forward part of the knee portion of a trouser leg, means involving strap members attached tovthe ends of said band and arranged diagonally with reference thereto for taking up the stress to whichsaid transverse band is subjected, the ends of said transverse band being attached to. the side seams of the trouser leg, the ends .of said strap members being also attached to the side seams of said .trouser leg and other strap members extending from the ends. of one set of the first named strap members at said side seams to a point in alignment with the crease in the trousers, and means for supporting the last named ends of said strap members in connection with the trousers; j

. 2. In combination with the leg portions of a pair of trousers including side seams, a protector for eachleg portion comprising a transverse band positioned at the forward part of the knee of the trousers, the ends of said .band terminating at the side seams, and strap members attached to said ends of the band, and extending upwardly and downwardly and diagonally with respect to said band to the forward part of the trouser leg,

and a strip extending from the'central portion of said band upwardly and downwardly at the front of thetrouser leg, and to which said'strap'members are attached at points above and below said band.

3. In'combination with the leg portions of a .pair of trousers including side seams, a protector for each leg portion comprising a transverse band positioned at the forward part of the knee of thetrousers, the ends of saidband terminating at the side seams, and

strapmembers attached to said ends of the band and extending upwardly and downwardlyand diagonally. with respect to said band to the forward part ofthe trouser leg, a strip extending from the central portion of said'band upwardly and downwardly at the frontof the trouser leg and to which said strap members are attached at points above and below said band, andsaid strap members extending across said strip and upwardly s and downwardly to opposite side seams, to" which said strap members are attached.

4:. In combination with the leg portions ofv a pair of trousers including side seams, a protector for each leg portion comprising a transverse band positioned at the forward part of the knee of the trousers, the ends of said band terminating at the side seams, and strap members attached to said ends of the band and extending upwardly and downwardly and diagonally with respect to said band to the forward part of the trouser leg, a strip extending. from the central portion of said band upwardly and downwardly at the front of the trouser leg and to which said strap members are attached at points above and below said band, said strap members extending across said strip and upwardly and downwardly to opposite side seams to which said strap members are attached, other strap members extending from the ends of said upwardly directed strap members diagonally, and the ends thereof being attached to said strip.

5. A protector of the class described comprising an elongated strip, laterally extending bands adjacent the central portion of said strip, strap members attached to the ends of said bands and extending upwardly and downwardly with respect thereto in diagonal fashion, and intersecting each other on. said strip at opposite sides of said bands and attached to the strip where intersected, the ends of said strap members extending upwardly and downwardly beyond said intersections, and on opposite sides of and diagonally with respect to said strip.

6. A protector of the class described comprising an elongated strip, laterally extending bands adjacent the central portion of said tudinally thereof from the lower end of the leg to the waist portion of the trousers, and attransverse band extending from one side seam to the opposite side seam of the trouser vleg at the knee portion thereof, and a plurality-of strap membersextending from the ends of said band diagonally to points of inband.

8. In combination with the leg portions of a pair of trousers including side seams and having a crease extending longitudinally of the front ofsaid leg portions, a protector for each leg portion comprising a vertical strip arranged in the crease of the front part of the leg ofthe trousers and extending longitudinally thereof from the lower end of theleg 'tersection on said strip above and below said to the waist portion of the trousers, atransverse band extending from one side seam to the opposite side seam of the trouser leg at the knee portion thereof, a plurality of strap members extending from the ends of said band diagonally to points of intersection on said strip above and below said band, and said strap members extending from said strip to the side seams of the trouser leg at points] above and below the 1 intersecting points of said strap members. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name this 13th'day of September, 1929.

' CHARLES SHEFFOLD.

strip, strap members attached to the ends of said bands and extending upwardly and downwardly with respect thereto in diagonal fashion and intersecting each other on said strip at opposite sides of said bands and attached to the strip where intersected, the

ends of said strap members extending upwardly and downwardly beyond said intersections and on opposite, sides of and diagonally with respect to said strip, andthe upper strap members terminating in end portions directed toward and intersecting said strip and secured thereto at a point in spaced relation to the first named intersection of the l j upper strap members.

-strip arranged in the crease of the front part of the leg of the trousers and extending longiioo 

